Tale of the Princess
by Kirei Ai Tenshi
Summary: Sango and Kagome have lived a normal life up until they reached of age. Then they found out the truth. They are actually the Kusunoki heirs, the Princesses of the Ninja!
1. Chapter 1

Well...what can I say? I know that I should be working on my other fics, but once I had started playing Shall we date? Ninja Love I just couldn't get this story out of my head! Of course, staying true to my specialities, it's a crossover with Inuyasha, but instead of Kagome, I'm going to try my hand out at Sango...just kidding! Or am I? Anywho let's get on with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own either Inuyasha or the game, Shall We Date: Ninja Love. They belong to their respectful owners.

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Tale of the Princess

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1581, Kawachinokuni

The sun beamed down through the window of the temple. Shining down on the sleeping figure resting upon the wooden floor. She snuggled deeper into her sleeping mat, throwing the blanket over her eyes in effort to block the light. Just as she was successful in thwarting the sun's plans to rouse her from her peaceful slumber, something whacked her on the head. Shooting up with lightning fast speed, the girl opened her mouth to shout at her assailant.

"Sango," she cried! "That hurt, you know?"

The other girl, known as Sango, grinned and picked up another pillow. Cocking her arm back, she threw the projectile at her sister. "Then get up! It's time to start our duties!" Her cinnamon colored eyes gleamed mischievously when she saw her sister huff and tossed the blanket off of her body. "Aren't you just a ray of sunshine, Kagome."

Kagome flipped Sango the finger as she rolled up her sleeping mat and put it away. Turning back around, she gave the taller girl a pointed glare. "Okay? I'm up. What duties do we have to do?"

Sango pushed a wicker broom into Kagome's hands. "Grandfather said to sweep the temple."

"The entire temple!" Kagome bemoaned. "That's going to take all day!" She shoved the broom back into Sango's hands. "You can sweep. I'm going to feed the cats." Ignoring her sister's angry retort, Kagome went to the kitchen and began making fish cakes for her pet cats. She'd raised them from newborns when the mother cat died when giving birth. Sprinkling just a small amount of spices on the patties. Kagome took them off the fire and placed them in a burlap bag.

Walking outside, the dark-haired girl covered her eyes to fend off the brightness of the sun. "Ahh, such a bright day!" she smiled warmly at the villagers who spoke to her and she raised her bag to show the freshly made treats inside. Walking past the two women, Kagome bumped into a tall stranger. Looking up at the man, the first thing she noticed was the two swords strapped to his hip. _Samurai? _The next thing that caught her eye was his dark green hair and sharp grey eyes.

A blush tinted her cheeks red when he suddenly reached out for her and took hold of her hand. She relaxed when she realized that he was just helping her back to her feet.

"Are you okay?" His deep timbering voice rumbled through her ears.

Kagome struggled to find her voice as she tried to take her eyes off his bared chest. Finally, she managed to do both and looked him in his eyes and said, "Yes. I'm fine. Thank you." She dusted off her kimono.

He looked down at the bag in her small hands and caught the delicious aroma of the fish cakes inside. Catching the girl's eyes once more, he pointed down at the sack. "Can I have some of that?"

The dark-haired girl blinked in confusion before gazing at where his finger was pointed. _He wants a fish cake?_ Opening the bag and pulling out two pieces, she held them out to him. "Sure. I just made them. So, they're a little hot."

The man took the cakes out her of hand, his long fingertips brushing lightly over her palm. He raised them to his lips and slid them in his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully before a large smile spread over his lips. "Thanks. You're a very good cook."

Kagome returned his smile with one of her own. "Everyone in the village thinks that too." She blushed lightly as she stared into his grey eyes.

"I see why. You have a talented gift." He cracked another smile as he bent at the waist. "I almost forgot to introduce myself. I'm Musashi Miyamoto."

"Musashi?" Kagome repeated, liking the way his name rolled off her tongue. She bowed and introduced herself. "My name is Kagome. What are you doing in this country village?"

Musashi's smile faded just a bit as he ran his hand through his bangs, growling when his fingers pulled at the tight braid that held up his ponytail. "I promised to meet someone around here."

The dark-haired girl tilted her head to the side. "Oh yeah?"

He nodded and placed his hand on his hip and gave her another one of his charming smiles. "Yeah. Actually it's time now." He gave her a little salute as he turned to walk away. "See you and thanks for the snack!"

Kagome sighed as she watched Musashi walk away. Pressing the burlap sack to her chest, she giggled giddily. He was very handsome. Very handsome indeed. With a skip in her step, Kagome made her way over to the old temple where her kitties were waiting on her. But she was stopped when a monk stepped in front of her.

"Where did you go?" He asked with a quirk of the brow.

"I went to make some snacks for the cats." she answered, trying to move around him, but he was not budging.

The monk gave her a disapproving look. "And you left Sango to do all the sweeping?" he shook his head and grabbed her by the arm. "You can't keep on neglecting your duties. Just because you are one of the chief priest's granddaughter." Taking the bag from her hands, he plucked out a fish cake and quickly ate it. "I will feed the cats for you. Or have you forgotten that there are bandits recently seen."

Kagome bowed her head, her bangs hiding her eyes. "Yes, I remember. Bandits that Nobunaga Oda sent to hunt down ninjas."

The monk nodded as he guided her back to the temple where Sango was seen sweeping the dust off of the floor and out the door. "He is well-known for hating ninja. He even used Koga to invade Iga, but now plans to destroy Koga as well."

Sango, who was now within hearing distance, stopped sweeping and smirked. "Is the great Nobunaga really that scared the ninja?" She placed her hands on her hips. "I mean it's not like they can overthrow him."

The monk shot the taller girl an annoyed look. "Yeah, in fact, he is. He knows of their true power and fears they will get in his way."

Kagome took that opportunity to snatch her bag back from the monk's hands and ran up the steps to stand beside Sango. "It's not like Nobunaga is going to take over this country for sure."

"That's true." the monk agreed, not realizing that the dark-haired girl had taken the sack out of his hand. "There are still other possible players. Like the really strong samurai serving under Tokugawa."

That drew the girls attention even further. A really strong samurai? How cool! "What's his name?" they asked simultaneously.

"Munenori Yagyu, the head of the Yagyu clan." The monk said after a moment of suspense, getting the girls even more riled up. "Not only is he an amazing swordsman, but I hear that he is quite clever too."

Kagome smacked her left palm in her right palm before gasping and quickly his her hands behind her back once more. "I know of Lord Munenori! I heard them from Grandpa." she turned to her best sister. "Remember, Sango."

Sango nodded her head. She remembered their grandfather telling them stories of the Yagyu head being extremely strong with a sword. He was calm, calculated, and sometime cruel. She sighed. "Yeah, but I also heard that he is forced to do cruel things."

The smaller girl hummed in agreement. "But that really has nothing to do with our little temple."

The monk narrowed his eyes. "You can never be too careful, Kagome. Sango."

"Yes, yes." Kagome waved the monk off as she grabbed her sister's hand. "Hey, let's go feed the cats!"

When Kagome said those words the monk finally noticed that the burlap sack was no longer in his possession. By the time he had looked up to demand it back, the two girls were already gone, heading towards the main hall of the temple. "Wait! Kagome! Sango! The priest said to stay away from the temple!" he sighed as he realized that the girls were no longer within hearing distance. "They can't hear me anyway."

Sango and Kagome laughed cheerfully as they finally managed to get rid of the old monk. While they enjoyed their simple life in the country, the monks could be a bit overbearing with all the chores they assigned to the girls. Walking down the hall and turning the corner to the place where the cats were, the girls were greeted by an unusual sight.

A man with chin-length raven hair that had a small braided charm hanging on the right side of his head and piercing green eyes was scratching one of the cat's on the stomach. While they could not see his mouth because of the thin black mask that covered the lower half of his face, his eyes were shining with content and happiness. Suddenly he snapped his head up with an angry look.

"Who's there?" he said in a low voice, pressing the kitty closer to his chest in a protective manner.

Sango narrowed her eyes. _What is he so uptight about? _"That's our question. We're the granddaughters of the chief priest here. What are you doing with Kirara?" she placed her hands on her hips and challenged him with her eyes.

The man rose to his feet and set the cat down. "So you're the girls?" He walked over to Sango and Kagome, sizing them up before taking hold of their chins. He was so close to their faces that they could feel his warm breath fanning out over them. Just as they were about to blush at his sudden closeness, he chuckled. "Even from every angle, you just look like boring, ordinary girls. Except for the eyes." He added, looking into Kagome's stormy blue orbs.

"Hey, Saizo?!" Another voice called out from behind them. A tall young man with long, flowing orange hair and bright emerald-colored eyes walked into the temple and stood beside Saizo. He threw his arm over the shorter male's shoulders and laughed merrily.

Saizo gave the newcomer and annoyed look as he released his hold on the girls' chins. He reached around and threw the arm that was around his shoulders off of him. "Sasuke. You know I am older than you. Watch how you talk to me!" he finished with a smirk.

It was Sasuke's turn to look annoyed as he threw Saizo a dirty look. "Shut up!" he growled realistically. "Not like it matters!" His entire demeanor changed as he looked down at the two girls standing before them. "Who are they?"

"They say that they are 'those girls'." Saizo said nonchalantly.

Sasuke's smile widened as his eyes lit up with joy. "Really?" even his voice rose with excitement. "They are Sango and Kagome?" He looked them over, his eyes lingering on Sango's face, before his smile widened to a full on grin. Sasuke moved over to the brunette and pulled her against his chest, hugging her tightly. "Sango is such a cutie!"

Sango blushed deeply as this stranger embraced her. She's never been hugged like this by a man and it took her off guard. She blinked then Sasuke's weight and warmth was suddenly thrown back. Looking up, she saw that Saizo had pulled the tall boy away from her and was giving him a scolding.

_That gave me a shock! _Sango thought as she placed her hand over her racing heart. _I wonder if he is younger than even me? He's so tall!_

Kagome stood in front of her sister just incase that Sasuke person tried to grab Sango into another forced hug. "Who are you and what do you want with this village?"

Saizo stopped yelling at Sasuke and gave the shorter girl a long stare. He smiled secretly when he saw that she merely returned to look with a glare of her own. Quirking a thin brow, he tilted his head to the side, "Are you stupid or something?"

"Stupid!" Kagome fumed. Oh, how she wanted to slap that smirk off his handsome face. _Did I just call this jerk handsome?! _

"You can't tell by our clothing who we are?" Saizo said while gesturing to his and Sasuke's outfits.

The girls finally took a good look at what the two men were wearing. Saizo wore an indigo-colored kimono that had his shoulders exposed and was trimmed in a dark purple trimming that had a sakura pattern. His obi was a cream color and had a chain sickle tucked into it. Sasuke wore a dark green kimono that was trimmed in orange and had the sleeves ripped off to show off his muscular arms. A black mesh shirt was easily seen through the opening of his kimono. Three small hoop earrings pierced his left ear. He wore a bright yellow scarf around his neck to complete his look.

_They're ninjas!_ The girls thought together.

Sasuke snuck by Kagome and gave Sango another tight squeeze before rushing off. "See ya later, Sango!"

Sango blushed when the tall boy embraced her before leaving and almost waved him goodbye. She stopped herself before she could complete the action. _What the hell am I thinking? I don't even know the guy! _

"Uhm, excuse me?"

The girls jumped and swiveled around on their feet to face a man with flowing blond hair that was tied into a messy side ponytail and kind blue eyes. He looked to be much older than the girls, probably in his late twenties, but he was still good-looking nonetheless. Scratching the back of their heads nervously, they answered, "Yes?"

The blond bowed his head. "Sorry for surprising you. Are you one of the villager?"

The girls nodded. "Yes, we are. But who are you?"

"I am Rennoshin, a doctor who visits here sometimes." He bent at the waist as his blue eyes shone with concern. "I was on my way out but then I saw you, two, standing here by yourselves. I was a bit worried so I wanted to check."

Kagome blushed at the softness of his voice and when the doctor pressed his hand against her forehead gently. "I-I'm fine. I'm healthy as a horse!" she said, scrambling away from Rennoshin's touch.

Rennoshin smiled gently as he withdrew his hand. "That is good to hear. Health is the most important." He patted Kagome on the head softly as he ruffled her long raven hair slightly. "Well at any rate I am glad to hear you are fine." he glanced over at Sango. "You are well, miss?"

Sango nodded and thumped her fist against her chest. "Strong as an ox!" she boasted.

"Sorry for worrying you, Dr. Rennoshin." Kagome bowed.

Rennoshin waved his hand back and forth before adjusting his glasses. "I'm not worried about that. Don't worry." He gave her a kind smile before turning around. "Well, I will be on my way then."

Kagome waved goodbye to the doctor before flashing Sango a brilliant smile. "We sure are meeting lots of new faces today, aren't we?" Though she had a sinking feeling that she would not be seeing that kind man again anytime soon.

Sango nodded in agreement. "And two of them were ninja. Did something happen near the village?"

The shorter girl shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Maybe we should ask grandpa?"

The older girl nodded once more and took hold of her sister's hand. Together they walked back to the main hall of the temple. As they prepared to enter the room to where their grandfather was, hushed voices were easily heard behind the rice paper door. One of the voices were guttural and scratchy to the ears and the other was the raspy tone of the chief priest.

"I'm sure you know, but Nobunaga plans to wipe out all of the ninja." the man stressed on the word "all."

"Of course I understand the situation, Lord Hattori." their grandfather replied, exasperatedly. "There is no future for the ninja if we don't stop Nobunaga."

Kagome looked over at her sister with wide eyes. Lord Hattori was here? Why did her grandfather not tell her. He of all people should know what a huge fan of his she was. She admired him greatly for his strengths. And from what she's heard from the village women, he's astonishingly handsome.

The scratchy voice spoke up again. "I have talked with Lord Mochizuki from Koga. We are going to unite and fight." the voice turned urgent. "And for that we need Sango and Kagome!"

Sango blinked in confusion. Why did they need them? They were merely temple girls who had no type of importance to this cause. Wanting to know some answers, she threw open the door with a fierce look in her cinnamon colored eyes and a frown on her lips. "What the hell do you need me and Kagome for?" she demanded.

Their grandfather stood to his feet, his black robes rustling with the quick movement. "Sango! Kagome! What are you doing here? I told no one to come near the temple hall."

Kagome stood beside Sango, her face mirroring her sisters, her frown deepening when she saw that it was not the Lord Hattori she was thinking of. "Grandpa, what are you talking about? Why do the Elders of Iga and Koga need us?"

The Iga elder rose to his feet with an astound look on his face. "These girls are our future. The heirs to the Kusunoki style?"

"Answer the question, dammit!" Sango cursed.

The chief priest sighed as he moved over to the sisters. Grabbing their hands softly in his, he looked them in the eyes. "Sango. Kagome. I should have told sooner, but you two are the daughters of Masashige Kusunoki."

The girls could not believe what their grandfather was telling them. That they were the daughters of the infamous King of the Ninja. The man who created the Kusunoki style - a vicious form of martial arts that could leave a person paralyzed and near death. "What? We're just the priest's granddaughters. Our parents died."

"We aren't actually related by blood. I adopted you when you were every young." the priest said sadly. "I raised you here to keep you safe from Nobunaga."

The Iga elder stood to his feet, his eyes hard and voice stern. "You are actually the princesses of the Kusunoki. The origin of ninjas." He turned to the door and barked out, "Hanzo!"

Kagome's heart sped up tremendously when the door slid open and the tall, handsome figure of Hanzo Hattori slid inside the room. His chin-length dark blue hair fluttered around his cheeks as his lips pulled up in a sincere smile. Kagome felt faint when his beautiful black eyes landed on her.

Hanzo walked over to the girls and bowed before them. "Pleasure to meet you, Princesses." His lips dipped down in a slight frown as he looked deep into Kagome's eyes then into Sango's. "I know you are probably surprised by these sudden events, but please rest assured, we will protect you with all our power."

Sango blurted out, "We? Who is we?"

"Hmm..." a voice hummed close to the brunette, making her jump and cling to Kagome. "So they are the princesses?" The newcomer eyed them up and down with a faint smile on his lips. "They really don't look the part." He saw the fire that burned in their eyes and smirked. "But they do have nice eyes."

"Goemon!" Hanzo scolded. "Watch your mouth in front of the Princesses!"

Kagome glanced over at Goemon, taking note of his appearance. He had long, shoulder-length auburn hair with bands that fell carelessly into his molten amber eyes. On his right arm was an intricate tattoo of red tribal markings. His left arm was protected by a burgundy arm guard. His black shirt molded against his chest, the muscles clearly seen underneath. A dark orange kimono was draped around his hips in an intimate fashion. And to finish off his look, two small hooped earring pierced both ears. _So he is Goemon Ishikawa from Iga?_

Goemon gave Hanzo a cheeky grin. "You're just as stiff as usual, Hanzo." He looked down at the girls with a sly smile. "I mean we will be living together."

"Living together!?" The girls exclaimed, bright blushes tinted their cheeks red.

The chief was the one who rescued his adopted granddaughters as he cleared his throat loudly. "In order to oppose Nobunaga, the Iga, Koga, and Fuma clans are joining together. You two are the symbol of that unity, as the Princess heirs to the Ninja origin." He waved Goemon away from the girls. "And five ninjas have been chosen from the villages. We are coming up with a plan to oppose Nobunaga."

Hanzo stepped a little closer to the girls, his eyes kind. "For that purpose we are all assembling in Iga."

"You are to go to Iga for training." their grandfather said somberly.

"Training?" They said in unison while pointing a finger at one another.

Goemon managed to sneak back over to where the girls were and threw an arm over their shoulders and pulled them close to his body. "If you are to be a symbol of unity, you need some knowledge of ninja. Don't worry, I will gave good care of you." His fingers trailed down the length of their arms in a soft caress as he leaned in to whisper in their ears, "And in exchange, you can let me have some fun too."

Sango rammed her elbow into his stomach while Kagome stomped on his foot. _We can't relax with pervs like him around!_

The Iga leader dropped to his knees. "Please help us, Sango and Kagome!" He bowed his head in impleadment. "We need you two to hold this alliance together. You're the only hope we have!"

Kagome felt uncomfortable with the elderly man on his knees before her and her sister. She also knew that Sango did not like it when others grovelled in front of her. It was a sign of weakness in Sango's eyes. "Please raise your head and stand up."

Just then the door slung back open and two figures walked inside. Sango tensed her body as she was very suddenly pulled into a tight embrace by Sasuke. She struggled for a moment and sighed when she realized that he was much too strong for her to even think about breaking his hold on her.

"Sango! I missed your face already!" Sasuke said eagerly as he squeezed her tighter before releasing her altogether.

The priest smiled faintly at the small blush that tinted his older granddaughter's cheeks. "I see you've already met. These two are Saizo Kirigakure and Sasuke Sarutobi from Koga." He watched with curious eyes when he saw Saizo stand next to Kagome and give her a long stare.

The girls shifted away from the two Koga ninja before their eyes settled on the third man who walked in with them. He was the shorter of the three. His snow colored hair glistened in the sunlight and his blood-red eyes shined with a dullness that matched his quiet demeanor. He wore an all black kimono with the neck open just enough to show the black mesh shirt underneath. A burgundy scarf was wrapped around his neck and his mouth as well as his nose was covered by a thin black mask.

"Uhm...Who is this man, Grandfather?" Sango questioned, gazing over at the handsome young man.

"He is Kotaro Fuma from the Fuma clan."

Kotaro said nothing as he nodded his head in greeting. His cold, quiet demeanor made him seem a little scary. But the girls were not ones to judge a person by their outer appearance. Maybe underneath that was a kind and gentle man.

"Kagome. Sango." he waited for the girls to look up at him before continuing, "I raised you as ordinary girls. But now is the time for you to step into the world. You are the heirs." He took a deep breath as he was about to confess the secret he's been hiding for several years. "Your parents did not die of illness. They were killed by Nobunaga's men."

The sisters stood there in shock at the words that just came from the old man's mouth. Nobunaga killed their parents? How? Why could anyone be as cruel to rip apart a family. Nobunaga had to be stopped and stopped immediately! They walked out the temple and into the garden, pacing back and forth. That villain must be stopped before he has a chance to destroy anymore families.

"Princesses?" Hanzo's voice snapped the girls out of their anger induced thoughts.

"Lord Hanzo?"

Hanzo walked over to where the girls were slowly; he saw the pain and anger that burned in their eyes. "I know that you are probably confused after hearing this so suddenly." He gave them a soft, sad smile. "Even finding out that your parents were murdered."

Kagome looked directly into Hanzo's eyes, fighting off the blush that threatened to blossom over her face. "We are more angry that confused, Lord Hanzo." she said carefully, anger barely concealed in her voice. "Many more people are dying in wars as we speak. And all because of Nobunaga Oda."

"Heh," he mused, "I see now that you really are their heirs." Hanzo walked over to the girls and wrapped his arms around their shoulders gently, pulling them closer. "I'm sorry for putting you through this." He released them and looked into their eyes and a small smile tilted his lips upward. "You have your parents' eyes."

Goemon walked into the garden and grinned cheekily when he watched the older ninja step away from the princesses with shy intentions. Placing his hands on his hips, he said, "Hanzo, you sure don't understand women very much."

Hanzo frowned almost instantly and turned his nose up at the redhead. "Goemon!" he shouted viciously. "I said watch your mouth around the Princesses!"

"So..." Goemon said, ignoring his elder completely as he walked over to where Sango and Kagome were standing. "Who are you going to choose?"

The girls blinked curiously and tilted their heads in confusion. "Huh? Choose what?"

"I am the youngest and most powerful!" He boasted, puffing out his chest to make the tight black shirt stretch across his muscles.

Hanzo placed his hand on his forehead and shook his head slowly. "Sorry, but some of us do have to grow up." He glared at the redheaded ninja.

Goemon simply flashed Hanzo a sly grin as he moved to wrap his arms around the princesses' waists tightly. Leaning down, his whispered their names seductively. Warm breath ghosted over their ears, making them turn bright red with embarrassment. "Just letting you know, but I am the best with woman. Why don't you both become mine." His hand slipped lower on their hips, squeezing the flesh there gently.

"Why you..." they said venomously and prepared to slap the ninja away from them.

"What?" he said teasingly. "Not your type?"

Hanzo's eyes flashed angrily as he began to reach into his kunai pouch strapped to his right thigh. "Goemon! If you don't cut that out..."

"Hey you!" Sasuke's voice called from a distance. "Get away from Sango!" He threw something with his right hand and a ninja star came whizzing by Goemon's face, nearly slicing his cheek.

Goemon jumped away from the ninja princesses to avoid being cut by another deadly ninja star that Sasuke had thrown. Growling low in his throat, he glared at the taller boy. "What the hell? Do you want to take me on?"

Sasuke stood in front of Sango as if to protect her from the redhead's gaze. Looking down at Goemon, he took on an offensive stance. "Yeah! I will make you pay!"

Hanzo butted into the argument between the two ninja and grabbed the Iga ninja back by his shoulder. "Goemon!"

Saizo appeared next to Sasuke and whacked him on the back of the head before pulling him back. "You idiot!" He turned to Hanzo and bowed slightly. "Apologies, Lord Hanzo. This is kid always lets things go to his head."

"Don't treat me like a kid." Sasuke snapped, an irate look on his face. His green eyes shifted over to Sango for a brief second before he boasted, "I am a master of Ninja techniques!"

Goemon scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest as he continued to glare at the younger Koga ninja. "Yeah, I heard of the name Sasuke Sarutobi. I hear that he is as agile as a monkey." he smirked as he continued with a devious look in her amber eyes. "But that his brain is the same size too!"

Sasuke reached into his kunai pouch and withdrew one of the knives. "What did you say?"! he growled through gritted teeth. "Acting all big just because you are famous." Lifting the kunai up be prepared to throw it, but the blade was snatched from his fingers by Saizo.

"Yup," Goemon smirked smugly as he crossed his arms over his chest, "I am famous for being good with the women and my combat skills. Got a problem?!"

Saizo sighed irritably. Both young ninja were acting like children arguing about who had the better toy and it was getting quite ridiculous. In his opinion, neither of them were in the right mindset to be ninja. "Alright." he said, his voice rising above the arguing duo. "Let's just hurry up and decide this." He reached out and grabbed Kagome by the arm and drew her close. "So, who do you choose out of us?"

Kagome snatched her arm out of his grip with a faint blush tinting her cheeks. "What are you talking about?"

Goemon arched a fine brow as he tilted his head to the side. "Wait. You didn't hear from the elder, little girl?"

The younger sister stuck her tongue out at the redhead childishly and refused to answer his question. If he could not call her by name then she had no reason to talk to a selfish self-centered man like him. Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared at him defiantly.

Hanzo chuckled at the young princess's antic before scolding the other ninjas. "I am telling all of you to watch your mouth. They are our Princesses."

Kotaro silently walked towards the garden, bowing his head at Sango and Kagome respectfully as he took his place in between them. He folded his arms across his chest and watched the other carefully.

Sasuke walked over to where Kotaro was and wedged his way next to Sango and threw his arm around her shoulder before grinning down at her. "Hey Fuma guy! Say something at least!" he flashed the Fuma ninja a quick grin.

"It's a waste of breath." Kotaro spoke for the first time, his voice low and timbering that sent chills down the Ninja Princesses' spines. "I am already prepared to die for the Princesses."

That shocked the girls. Kotaro was willing to die protecting them? How he that adamant about his mission? Sure, every human being deserves a chance at survival, but they did not want anyone to die for them.

Hanzo shook his head and moved to stand in front of Kotaro with a stern look in his ebony eyes. "That is fine and all Kotaro, but do so carelessly." He placed his hand on the other man's shoulder. "We didn't come here to die. We came here to survive." Hanzo removed his hand and looked directly at Kagome and Sango. "Princesses, we are going to head to Iga. But all eight of us is too conspicuous. So, we will take separate ways to distract the enemy. We want each of you to head to Iga with one of us."

Sango stepped in front of Kagome with a fierce look in her eyes. "You want Kagome and I to separate and go with one of them?" she shifted her eyes to Sasuke who had an eager look in his eyes. She felt wary of him with his many advances to always hug her when he felt the need to, but he was very handsome and adorable when he wanted to be.

"That person will assure your safe passage to Iga." the elder ninja said as he held his hands up in a defensive manner. "I know that it will be hard for you to separate from your sister, Princess Sango, but it is for the best."

Goemon moved to wrap his arm around the older sister's waist but was swatted away. With a smirk, he closed in on Kagome and drew her close to his body. "We will protect you from Nobunaga." He jumped back when he noticed Saizo throwing him dirty looks with barely hidden anger.

Sasuke wrapped his arms back around Sango in a tight hug, grinning broadly as he announced in a cheerful voice, "Also remember that we have to stay together always! Even in the bath!"

Sango shoved the orange-haired ninja off of her with strength she did not realize she had. "That's going too far, pervert!" she yelled and moved to grab Kagome's hand and glared at anyone who tried to get close to them.

Saizo sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Don't worry your petty little head. We aren't doing it because we want to see you naked."

The younger Koga ninja took Sango's hand in his gently and gave her his best puppy-dog eyes, making the emerald-colored orbs sparkle innocently. "Come on, Sango, pick me. I will do my best."

Goemon pulled Kagome to him once more and grabbed Sango's other hand. "If you pick me, it is guaranteed to be fun." He gave them both a flirty wink.

Kotaro remained silent, but he did take the Ninja Princesses away from the other ninja and escorted them over to Hanzo. He walked back over to where his scowling comrades were and said nothing and crossed his arms over his chest in a look of dull defiance.

Hanzo placed his hands on each of the sisters' shoulders and gave them a kind smile. "Princesses, they are all talented ninjas. Which do you want to pick?"

Sango looked at her sister with worried eyes. She had no desire to separated from Kagome, but if it was for their safety then they must. But who should she pick. Saizo? Kotaro? Goemon? Sasuke? Well, she knew for a fact that she did not want to around a pervert like Goemon and Saizo seemed to be more interested in Kagome. So that left Kotaro and Sasuke. Thinking back, she really did not want the Fuma ninja to risk his life to protect her.

"I'll travel with Sasuke." she said finally.

Kagome thought over her choices. Sasuke was out from the beginning. He was too engrossed with her sister. Saizo seemed easy to talk to, but Kagome knew that they would but heads way to often to ever get along properly. Goemon was a definite no. She'd probably break his arm f he tried to wrap it around her waist again. Kotaro would most likely end up getting tired of her constant talking since he was more of a quiet type. _Maybe Musashi is still around. He seemed to be really strong. He helped me up with just one hand. If he is meeting someone around here, then maybe we'll meet again. _Kagome thought about the two swords he had strapped to his hip. _Plus since he's not a ninja it might be safer and less conspicuous._

"Hey, Lord Hanzo, I think I'd like to travel with you. If that it okay." Kagome said.

* * *

Pairings have been decided! I am going to use both Sango and Kagome in this story. Now I know that each SWD character has their own story, so I'm splitting this fic into two parts. I'll explain it later on with how my ideas will come together, so enjoy!

~Kirei Ai Tenshi


	2. Chapter 2

Well, I didn't get many reviews for my last chapter, but at least I know that you like it from all the hits and faves and follows I got. I'm guessing you're waiting for this chapter to see where my ideas are going.

Disclaimer: (see first chapter)

* * *

Goemon frowned when Sasuke cheered happily. Why did she chose that monkey over him? He was Iga's number one! She should have chosen him instead! He was better than that loathe. Walking over to Sango, he grabbed her arm and swung her around to face him. "Why did you pick Sasuke?!"

Sango snatched her arm from the redhead's tight grip, grimacing when his nails scratched her slightly. "Cause I wanted to. And before you even ask, I did not pick you because, I don't like perverts." She turned to look over at Sasuke, who was beaming happily down at her. Walking over to him, she grabbed his hand. "Let's go." Before leaving with the younger Koga ninja, Sango glanced at her sister. "Kagome, be safe. We will see each other again in Iga. I swear."

Kagome simply ran over to the brunette and hugged her tightly, tears brimming in her eyes. "Yes, Big sis. We will see each other again. Even if I have to defeat Nobunaga Oda myself. I will be with you again."

"You can count on it, Little sis."

Sasuke shot Goemon a cheeky look as he squeezed Sango's hand tighter. "No doubt that it's because I have the best manners towards Sango."

Hanzo narrowed his eyes at Sasuke. The young Koga ninja was acting too familiar with the elder princess, but decided to let it pass. He moved over to Kagome and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. When she looked up at him with those large blue eyes of hers, he said, "Come Princess. We must go our separate ways."

Kagome nodded. "This is not goodbye." she said to Sango.

"It's see you later." the elder sister smiled as she waved.

As the younger princess and Hanzo disappeared from the sight of the others, Sasuke immediately threw his arms around Sango's shoulders and hugged her tightly. The elder Ninja Princess blushed and scampered out of his hold. She ran over to Kotaro and hid behind him.

"I ask you to stop doing that so suddenly!"

Kotaro gave the princess a cool look. "Princess Sango, if Sasuke acts up, kill him."

Sango shot him a look that blatantly said that she might if he kept embracing her so suddenly without her permission. While he was cute enough, Sango did not even know if he was younger than her or not. Saizo already made it clear that Sasuke was younger than him and the elder Koga ninja looked her age!

Sasuke frowned. "That's harsh coming from you!" he bit out. "Besides, Sango and I will be spending a lot time together alone!"

At those words, the chief priest walked down the steps and approached his adopted granddaughter, taking hold of her arm. In a hushed voice, he said, "Sango, may I speak with you alone."

Sango blinked. "Of course, Grandfather." She announced her departure to her bodyguards and walked with the chief priest. She vaguely wondered what he wanted to speak with her about. Was there something else that she needed to know about? Sango already accepted the fact that she was a princess and was the symbol of unity for the Ninja. What more was there to talk about?

Soon they approached an open clearing in the vast garden of the shrine, when her grandfather turned around with a stern look in his eye. "Sango, you and Kagome are the symbol of unity. You cannot be engaging in any type of inappropriate relationships."

"Inappropriate relationships?" Sango repeated, her mouth slacked open. "What the hell are you talking about Grandfather?" Surely he did not mean that she would do something with Sasuke while they were traveling together. Okay, the younger ninja had a little crush on her. The feeling was not mutual. Cute as he may be, Sango was not interested in him.

The chief priest rubbed his balding head. "I understand that you are a capable young woman, Sango. But this Sasuke, boy, he is hot-blooded and full of energy." He coughed behind his hand to hide his embarrassment and shifted his eyes away from Sango's. "And you are still an unwed girl. Even if Sasuke tries to woo you, you must stay resolute and refuse."

Sango tilted her head to the side. _'Is Sasuke really such a wild animal?'_

"What are you whispering about?" Sasuke's voice drifted over the trees before he landed beside Sango with a wide grin.

"Sasuke!" the princess squeaked when he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. She struggled in his hold before shoving her elbow into his stomach. "Enough!" she roared, her cinnamon colored eyes narrowed. "Grandfather! I'm fine! I can handle him on my own!" She raised her arm and jabbed it in Sasuke's ribs. "See!"

The younger Koga ninja grimaced at the blow to his side. For such a small woman, Sango sure did hit hard! Grinning even further, he decided that she was even more cute than before! Placing his hand on her shoulder, he waited for her to look up at him. "Nobunaga's base is in this town. We'll go through the mountain." Flashing her a smile, he continued, "Don't worry. With me scouting, we'll be okay. Let's have a good time traveling, Sango." he playfully bonked her on the head.

Sango scowled up at him and swatted his hand away. "See you later, Grandfather."

* * *

The elder Ninja Princess wiped the sweat off her brow and glared up at the sun. It was so hot on this mountain and the beaming sunlight was not helping. Sango growled when her bangs stuck to her damp forehead and swipe them away. She glanced up at Sasuke and saw that he had not even broke into a sweat and was not even breathing heavy! That's not fair! They've been hiking none stop for three hours now! How come he was not tired!

"That is so unfair!" she mumbled under her breath.

Sasuke looked back at the princess after hearing her soft voice and finally noticed that she was sweating profusely. "Sango..." he called out her name as he rushed to her side, "Could it be that you're getting tired?"

Sango crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her nose in the air. She was not about to look like a weak damsel in distress. "No, I am not! I'm fine!" marching past the tall ninja, she walked ahead of him and deeper into the mountain forest. "Huh? Kyaah!" Sango screamed when Sasuke suddenly scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder. She punched him in the back. "Put me down! I can walk myself!"

The Koga ninja chuckled and refused to put the princess down. "Geez," he sighed as he raised his face to the sky. "If you're tired, just let me know straight up."

Pouting, Sango crossed her arms the best that she could in this position. Soon her got fed up with his long ponytail tickling her nose and swiped it out-of-the-way and tossed it over his shoulder. Seeing that he was not about to put her down, she settled for counting the stitches in his scarf when she noticed something. _I never noticed how built Sasuke's shoulders are. I barely fit over one of them. _She glanced up at his face and a small blush warmed her cheeks. _He's cute, but manly close up. _ She gasped when he suddenly tighten his grip on her waist.

"Hold on tight!" He sprung up on the balls of his feet and landed in a tree. Once he got his footing, Sasuke began running through the foliage at break-neck speed.

Sango covered her face with her hands as her hair blew all over the place. How can he move so fast? How come the tree branches don't break under their combined weight? How can he run as it he was light as the wind? Is this what it means to be a ninja? A sudden wave of giddiness overcame the Princess and she broke out in a giggle fit. They were going so fast that she was elated. She wanted to go faster. "Run faster, Sasuke!" Sango cheered.

"Wow." Sasuke commented. "Sango, you're good. Most women would have started crying by now!"

She shot him a cheeky look. "Well, I'm not like most women. Besides, I know that you wouldn't drop me!"

Sasuke returned to look with one of his own as he picked up speed and tightened his hold on Sango's waist. "Just what I've come to expect from the love of my life!"

"What?" Sango squeaked as a blush turned her cheeks pink. She blinked when Sasuke suddenly stopped moving, the tree branch creaking under their weight. "Uhm... What is it?"

The Koga ninja said nothing as he let her slide off his shoulder. But before she would utter another word, he quickly covered her mouth with his hand. He gave her a hard look that screamed danger. "Keep it down!" he whispered fiercely in her ear. Slowly, he reached for his kunai pouch. Then a monkey howled loudly and swung from the tree above them. "A monkey?" Sasuke said.

Sango giggled from behind his hand and pointed up above them where three monkey were sitting staring at them. Her merry laughter spilled forth the moment Sasuke removed his hand from her mouth. "You got me all surprised over a few monkeys!" She laughed even harder.

Sasuke blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "What the hell?!" he sighed as he shot the monkeys a small half-hearted glare. "Stupid. Don't scare me like that." He picked Sango back up and tossed her over his shoulder and began running again. "Alright. Let's go."

Another giggled left Sango's lips when she noticed the primates following them a safe distance. "Sasuke, it looks like you've made some friends."

"Hmph." Sasuke said grumpily before cracking a sly grin. "Those monkeys must have fallen in love with you, too."

Sango frowned before pinched the tall man in the side. "That's not funny!" She crossed her arms over her chest. She began to wonder why Sasuke always brought up "love" when they were speaking. Surely, he did not fall in love with her? He barely knew her! They just met today for heaven's sake! Her grandfather's words echoed through her mind. Perhaps it was true. Sasuke may try to woo her while they were traveling together.

Sasuke spotted a small stream up ahead and grinned widely. "Look, Sango! There's a river! We can take a break there!" Running full speed towards the rocky terrain that housed the water, he leapt from the tree tops. Sasuke landed squarely on his feet and placed Sango down. The princess wobbled on her feet, her head spinning from going so fast for so long. Seeing her sway, Sasuke immediately began to panic and quickly caught her in his arms when she tipped over.

The princess blushed deeply at how close his face was to hers. This was the first time, she's ever been so close to a man outside of her family before. Why was is that this man was taking all her firsts? He was so close that she could see the faint scars on the right side of his face. She was mesmerized by them. Sango wanted to touch them. Before she realized what she was doing, her fingers were tracing over the slightly raised skin. Gasping at what she done, she quickly drew her hand back. "I'm sorry!" Sango jumped away from Sasuke and stood nervously near a large rock.

"No. It's fine. No need to apologize for something like that, dude." Sasuke said as he rubbed his scars gently.

"What?"

He gave her a sweet smile that made his emerald colored eyes sparkle in the sunlight. "Sango, I'll always be there for you when you're about to fall." he moved closer and grabbed her hand and placed it back on his scars. "And if you wanna touch them, just ask. I don't mind."

Sango withdrew her hand and held them close to her chest. "By the way, Sasuke. How old are you?"

Sasuke tilted his head to the side. "I'm seventeen."

The Princess jaw dropped open. He was a whole year younger than her and he was already so tall! Life was so unfair! Crossing her arms over her chest, Sango huffed. It just was not fair! Why do guys alway have to shoot up like trees! Why can she not grow a few more inches? She peeked over at Sasuke, who was still looking at her with a confused expression. _Even though he's younger than me, he's really helpful. I'm glad that he's around._

"I'm going to wash up at the river." he announced. "So just wait here."

Sango nodded and sat down on a rock. "Okay." She watched as Sasuke walked over to river before tilted her head back and closing her eyes. Sango took in the peaceful surroundings as a small smile curled at her lips. It as such a nice place for them to relax. There were no other noises other than the river and the wind. It was just her and Sasuke. Thinking back, this was the first time she was ever alone with a boy. _Dammit. That's another first he stole. _she growled mentally before a small giggle left her throat.

Suddenly a monkey howled loudly and the three monkeys from earlier jumped from the trees. Sango was so shocked to see the primates that she jumped from her spot on the rock and fell on the ground. Rubbing her sore bottom, she glared at the cause of it. "Those monkeys came all the way after us?" She could not help but to crack a smile when the monkey suddenly began making weird gestures and howling like crazy. "What's that you say? Tsuneo fell down a well?" She blinked when the primate sudden walked over to her and placed a persimmon in her hand. "Aww." she cooed. "Thank you."

The monkey howled and jumped on Sango's shoulders and began to groom her hair. It pulled the ribbon that held the long locks up and dug its fingers through the silky tresses.

"Uhm..." The princess said, confused. "Thanks. I suppose I should repay the favor." Looking around to make sure no one was watching, Sango pulled the monkey off her shoulders and began to scratch his back. Sasuke's loud laughter reached her ears and Sango immediately stopped what she was doing. "Sasuke?"

Sasuke grinned as he stood next to Sango. "You sure are funny!" he laughed. "Monkeying around, are you?" he began to laugh even harder, doubling over with his merriment. "Oh my stomach!"

Sango scowled at him for laughing at her when she finally noticed his state of undress. Blushing brighter that a cherry, she averted her eyes to the rocks. "Sasuke, why are you naked!" she stole a peek at his body and saw the well-defined muscles that were hidden under his clothes as well as the many scars that decorated his arms, chest, and abdomen.

The Koga ninja looked down at his unclothed body and grinned sheepishly. "I decided to take a proper bath down by the river.

_Damn him! This is another first for me! I've never seen a man's body so close before! _ Sango's blush deepened as she covered her eyes with her hands. Why could she not look away? Why was Sasuke so damn good-looking?! He's making it hard for her to be resolute and refuse him! She was the Ninja Princess for God's sake!

Sasuke cracked another smile when he saw the primate placed its furry hand on the princess's shoulder. "Sango, you look like you're old friends with that monkey!"

Sango growled under her breath. "The only monkey here is you." She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest and looked away from him. "And here I was about to share this persimmon with you." She jumped when suddenly a warmth covered her back and when she looked up, Sasuke was towering over her with a small smile on his face. "No matter how much you beg, I'm not sharing." she tried to scoot away from him, but he had wrapped his arms around her waist to prevent that.

"I'm sorry for teasing you, Sango." he whispered in her ear. "Please share the persimmon with me."

"Okay! I'll share!" she squeaked."Just stop whispering like that in my ear. It tickles!" Sango reached inside the sleeve of her kimono and pulled out her hidden blade and began to cut up the bright red-orange fruit. She picked up a piece and offered it to the tall ninja. "Here."

Sasuke leaned forward and took the fruit with his mouth. He grazed his teeth over Sango's delicate fingers as his lips brushed against her skin softly. He sat back up with a wide smile and looked at the princess's blushing face. "Wow, this persimmon is delicious." he said smoothly before leaning back down for another piece. This time he touched her palm with his tongue, swiping it across the width of it. "Your fingers are delicious too, Sango."

Sango turned even redder at his words and all but shoved the rest of the persimmon into his hands. "That's enough silliness!" She emphasised her words with a solid punch to his right arm. Sango cringed a bit. It was like punching a brick wall. "I'm older than you!"

"You may be older, but if then why do you turn so red?" Sasuke asked as he touched her hot cheeks. He leaned in closer when she back away from him shyly. "Sango?" he said her name in a questioning tone and watched as she turned even redder. His green eyes widened, "Could it be that..." he trailed off. Sasuke grabbed her chin and made her look at him. "Sango, are you a virgin?"

He should have expected the solid uppercut that Sango bestowed upon him. After asking such an embarrassing question, Sasuke should have known that she would have hit him. But damn that had hurt! He rubbed his sore jaw tenderly as a smile tilted at his lips. "Wow! You're a virgin, Sango!"

Sango blushed even deeper as steam practically shot out of ears. "Shut up! Quit saying it out loud!" she stood to her feet and pointed an angry finger at the boy. "It's not like you aren't one!"

Sasuke chuckled as he tended to his swelling jaw, soothing it with the cool water of the river. "Actually, I'm pretty experienced in the art of love." he flashed her a small grin. "For ninjas, learning about women is all part of training. Seduction can be a great help when trying to get information for enemies. You're not surprised, are you?"

Shaking her head, Sango denied his accusation as she sat back down. Of course she knew that seduction was an essential part of becoming a ninja. She had heard it from many of the older women of the village that they wished some rogue ninja would use them for practice. She just hoped that Sasuke was not like that. Even if she was older than him by a full year, the Koga ninja was more mature than her in some ways.

"We're still ahead of schedule, so let's take a break." he suggested as he sat down next to her. Not a second after he sat down, Sasuke placed his head snugly on Sango's lap. He grinned when she blushed even darker and exclaimed a loud protest. "What'dya mean? I'm taking a nap!"

Sango stared in disbelief when the tall ninja snuggled deeper in her lap. "Why are you using my lap as a pillow?" she exclaimed. But she did not get an answer back. Looking down she saw that he had already fallen asleep, his breath coming out in even puffs. She rolled her eyes. _He may be more mature than me in the aspect of sex, but he's still a child!_ Her eyes found their way back to his face and noticed how angelic he looked while sleeping. She giggled when he mumbled something in his slumber. "You're so cute, Sasuke."

They sat like that for a while until an urge tugged at Sango's bladder. She really had to go and relieve herself. It pained her to wake Sasuke because he was sleeping so peacefully, but her body had other plans. Shaking him gently, she said, "Wake up, Sasuke."

"Hmm." he mumbled. "What is it?"

Not feeling like telling him her embarrassing business, Sango moved his head off her lap and stood to her feet. "I'm heading down to the riverside for a few minutes."

"Riverside?" he blinked sleepily and yawned. "You gotta pee or something?" He should have expected the hard slap that innocent question got him.

Sango huffed and walked away from the Koga ninja. "Insensitive jerk!"

Sasuke jumped to his feet and rushed over to the princess and grabbed arm. "It's too dangerous. Go somewhere closer."

Snatching her arm back, the elder princess gave him a defiant glare. "Fine." Sango walked over to the nearby shrubbery. She did not feel comfortable with having Sasuke so close when she had to go. So she snuck off a little further into the forest. The princess searched for a good place to relieve her aching bladder until she found a large oak tree. After relieving the pain in her bladder, Sango felt better and started back down the path she took.

"Hey, over there! You, woman?" a rough voice called out.

Sango turned around and saw dozens of ninjas dressed in blue. Her back stiffened when they approached her with wary eyes. One of them tipped her chin up with a kunai and she could have sworn she saw his lips turn up in a cruel smile beneath his mask.

"What's a young woman doing in the mountains?" he asked coolly. The ninja drug the cool metal blade down her neck and pressed down lightly. "You'd better speak the truth, lest you forfeit your life!" He smirked at the fear that was carefully hidden in her large cinnamon eyes. "You wouldn't be one of the Princesses, would you?"

The Ninja Princess suddenly slapped the hand holding the knife and stomped on the man's foot. The kunai clatter to the floor and she made a wild grab for it. Once she retrieved the item, Sango saw that she was surrounded by the three ninja. The princess held the knife in a threatening manner, adrenaline pumping through her veins. Suddenly a shuriken flew through the air and embedded itself in the arm of one of the opposing ninja.

"Who threw that?"! the man demanded, ripping the star-shaped blade from his arm.

Sasuke jumped from the tree he was in and kicked the man on the head, sending him flying back. He then stuck out his tongue at the other opponents when they asked if he was a ninja. Flashing them an angry look, he said, "You bastards had better not lay a finger on this girl."

"What are you saying, you disrespectful little punk?"

The tall Koja ninja grinned and ducked into an offensive stance. "Why don't you come and see how much of a little punk I am?" he taunted them with the come hither gesture. He quickly grabbed Sango by the waist and dodged the kunai the opposing ninja threw at him by jumping in a tree. "Come on! This way!" he carried the elder princess in his arms as he bounces through the trees. The other ninjas were baffled by his speed. They immediately began to throw shuriken at them. Sasuke nimbly dodged all the sharp projectiles. "You guys suck! Where are you aiming?"

Curling his fists into a tight balls, he called out, "One Hundred Monkey Mountain Hell!"

Sango felt a drop of sweat form on her brow at the name of Sasuke's special move. _What kind of name is that?_ she blinked when she was suddenly surrounded by at least a hundred other Sasuke. Sango was amazed that the Koga ninja even knew such a high level of ninjitsu. And it seemed that the other ninja were as well.

"Amazing cloning technique. You must be Sasuke Sarutobi of Koga?"

The Sasuke holding her close grinned. "I'm a famous person in these parts too, huh?"

The ninja in blue growled loudly. "Dammit! Climb that tree and capture him!" With those words the opposing ninja jumped up to the top of the tree. "Sasuke Sarutobi! Prepare yourself!" they brandish their kunai, the black knives gleaming in the sunlight.

"Yeah right!" Sasuke taunted as he set Sango down on her feet. "You're the one that needs time to prepare!" He dashed towards his opponents in a storm of blades until he had them clinging for their lives at the edge of the cliff. He grinned cheekily. "I hope you guys get along well at the bottom of this waterfall!" he then used a kunai to stab their gasping hands, making the fall.

Sango was amazed that he managed to defeat both of those ninja so easily. But something was off. _Weren't there three of them?_ Her eyes grew in size when she spotted the third ninja, the one Sasuke threw the shuriken at, slowly approach the Koga ninja with a kunai drawn. "Sasuke, get down!" she screamed as she threw the blade in her hand. Time seemed to slow down as Sasuke quickly moved out-of-the-way of the kunai Sango had thrown and watched it embed itself in the blue ninja's forehead.

"Wow..." he said breathlessly. "You're amazing! Truly the Princess of the Ninja!" Sasuke walked over to her and hugged her tightly to his chest. "You're not hurt, are you?" he smiled when she shook her head. "Those thugs were from the Hachisuka clan. Traitors to their own kind. They support Nobunaga!"

The princess blinked in confusion. "Even though Nobunaga hate ninjas?"

Sasuke nodded solemnly. "He hates them, but he knows he has to use them to win," He pointed to the thick forest around them. "In this mountain terrain, samurai are at a big disadvantage."

Sango's eyes turned dark as her anger began to consume her. She lowered her head so that her long dark brown bangs hid her face. "He's resorted to using my people. He's pulling out all the stops." Sango looked up at Sasuke with hot tears brimming in her eyes. "Is he seriously trying to exterminate every last ninja? Weren't killing my parents good enough for him! Why do we deserve to die because Nobunaga Oda is such a coward?"

The Koga ninja placed his hands on the princess's shoulder and pulled her even closer to him. "No one knows. That's why we are going to stop him. You and your sister will be the ones who help aid us in this war." He smiled when Sango nodded. "But back to business." his voice was mischievous at best. He raised his hand and slapped her in the middle of her forehead.

"What was that for, you jerk!" Sango said angrily and threw a punch at his face.

Sasuke frowned at her. "What were you doing so far away from me?!" he said back just as angrily and caught her fist in his hand.

The princess scowled at her bodyguard. "Well, I'm sorry for trying to find a quiet spot to piss!"

"Geez." the tall ninja sighed and placed his hand on his forehead. "You are now officially forbidden from leaving my side!" he grabbed her hand and pulled her close to his side.

Sango struggled in his hold, hissing. "You can't do that!"

Sasuke merely grinned and held her even tighter. He laughed when she began to hit him with her tiny fists. "I'm only doing this because I care!" he chuckled when she suddenly stopped with a bright red blush highlighting her cheeks, "Good girl." he cooed and playfully tousled her loose hair.

"Uhm..." the princess said suddenly as she remembered that Sasuke had yet to put his clothes back on. He only had a towel wrapped around his waist. Her face heated up even more as she struggled to move her body away from his. "Sasuke! Put some clothes on already!"

The Koga ninja laughed and hugged her even closer. "But I like being naked!"

Sango scowled as her face felt like it was about to explode! "Let go of me, you monkey! Besides being naked makes you most vulnerable!" she finally freed her hand and was about to smack it across Sasuke face when he suddenly placed his head in the crook of her neck.

"It makes me the most vulnerable to you, Sango." he said softly as he held her closely. "Come on, baby."

_Baby? Who the hell is he calling baby! _Before she knew it, Sango had slapped Sasuke right across the face!

* * *

Later that night when they had camped up for the night, Sango unrolled her sleeping mat. She blinked when a small slip of paper fluttered to the floor. Picking it up, she read the contents of the letter.

_Our journey has begun! I'll protect you no matter what, Sango! So stick close and you'll be okay! Just don't be surprised if I assault you at night!_

_P.S. You sure can hit hard! _

_Sasuke._

Sango rolled her eyes and put the letter away in her bag. If he thought she could hit hard now, let him try to attack her in her sleep. The Ninja Princess would show him just how hard she could hit!

* * *

And that's the first chapter between Sango and Sasuke! I hope you like what I did and the small changes I made to fit Sango's character. She's depicted to be a strong character in Inuyasha and let's face it the MC in SWD: Ninja love was kind of weak. Anyway! Next up, we'll see how Kagome and Hanzo are holding up!

Ja ne

~Kirei Ai Tenshi


	3. Chapter 3

Glad you all liked Sango's chapter! Now, it's time I show you how Kagome is faring!

Disclaimer: (see first chapter)

* * *

Kagome sighed as she followed after Hanzo, her feet slightly dragging in the dirt. She already missed Sango terribly. This is the first time they've ever been separated. Not even being so close to her childhood crush, Hanzo Hattori could help her with the loneliness she was feeling. Tipping her face up to meet with the sky, the younger princess sighed loudly once more.

Hanzo heard the young woman's long sigh and stopped walking. He placed his hand on her shoulder gently to stop her movements and smiled when she looked up at him. "I know that it is hard for you to be so far away from Princess Sango, but it is our duty to protect you."

She nodded her head. While his words helped some, Kagome just could not shake the feeling of loneliness. _Maybe Musashi is around somewhere..._ Her thoughts soon turned to the handsome green-haired samurai that she bumped into earlier and a small smile spread over her lips. While she did have a huge crush on Hanzo, Musashi Miyamoto was just too cute to forget.

"Princess, you are surely anxious?" the head of the Hattori clan suddenly spoke up.

Kagome chose to say nothing. She did not want to make Hanzo worry unnecessarily nor did she want to lie. She's had a reputation of always being honest and Kagome wanted to keep it that way. Shifting her eyes away from Hanzo's, Kagome looked at a random spot on the ground.

Hanzo frowned lightly. "You shouldn't keep your feelings pent up like that."

"Lord Hanzo..." she whispered.

"Most girls would run away if this happened to them." he continued as he raised her chin to make her look at him. "You are a brave soul, willing to accept all this and fight with us."

The younger princess held Hanzo's eyes for the longest of moments. It was true. Kagome had already accepted the fact that she and her sister were the symbol of unity between the ninja clans. That they were the heirs to the Kusunoki, the origin of the Ninja. She accepted all that and was more than willing to get revenge for her murdered parents. But that did not stop the sliver of fear that settled in her heart.

Sighing and closing her eyes, Kagome said, "I am a little afraid, Lord Hanzo."

Hanzo anticipated her response, but he did not know how to respond. He was always awkward around women and did not understand their feelings. He slowly let his hand fall from her chin and looked away from those large blue eyes of hers. "I wish there was something I could do..."

Kagome grabbed the lord's hand and squeezed it gently. Smiling when he looked back at her, she said, "Just hearing your voice makes me feel safer." Before Hanzo had time to respond a falcon circled around them and perched itself on his shoulder. It looked at Kagome and tilted its head to the side. Next thing the princess knew, the falcon jumped into her shoulder.

"Hey, Hayatemaru!" Hanzo scolded, "What are you doing?"

"It's fine, Lord Hanzo." the princess quieted him with a wave of her hand. She reached up and fan her finger over the soft, downy feathers on the falcon's belly. "He must be your messenger falcon?" Kagome asked as she moved her finger to Hayatemaru's beak, grinning when he pecked at it gently.

Hanzo smiled softly and held out his arm for the bird, which it eagerly accepted. "Yeah, he is." Reaching for the tie on the falcon's leg, he opened the small letter. As he read the contents, he lips dipped down into a frown. "What's this?" His eyes continued to move back and forth as he kept reading. "This letter is from an Iga ninja named Kai Shimoyama. He's an old acquaintance, someone we can trust and according to his letter. Nobunaga has sent assassins to this area."

Kagome's eyes narrowed instantly at the name of her most hated enemy. Now that he's killed her parents, Nobunaga was after her life as well? Was not taking the life of her dear parents enough. Now he's got to go and wage war on her people and try to have her killed? Her eyes burned with hatred.

"Nobunaga must have found out about our plan." He lifted a hand to his jaw and rubbed it thoughtfully. "But how and from whom?" Hanzo reached out and grabbed Kagome's hand. "Shimoyama says that this area is dangerous and should meet up with him immediately. It seems that he and his ninja are on this mountain as well. We'll go to the meeting place described in this letter."

"Okay." she nodded and let him hold onto her hand. If she was not so pissed off at the moment, Kagome would have blushed. She was actually holding hands with Hanzo Hattori! That man of her dreams! But it was not the time for that. The war with Nobunaga has started and she needed to act like the Ninja Princess she was.

They walked for a few hours in silence, neither saying a word. They both realized that Hanzo had yet to release Kagome's hand. But they said nothing of it. After a few more minutes of walking a large waterfall came into their view. Hanzo looked down at the letter in his other hand. "We should be at the meeting place soon." he glanced over at Kagome. "You look nice."

On the way there, Kagome had changed out of her simple white kimono and changed into an outfit that screamed her title. She now wore a fishnet shirt that was covered by a dark blue vest, black shorts that had a half skirt covering her right thigh, elbow-length blue gloves that were attached to her middle finger, and black lightweight sandals. Kagome also tied up a portion of her hair with a blue ribbon. The wind blew sharply around her face, making her bangs flew up to reveal the forehead guard that Hanzo gave her. "Thank you."

He handed her the kimono that she had changed out of. "But maybe you should put this back on to hide. We don't want the assassins to notice you."

Kagome nodded and slid the white material on over her clothes and tied the obi snug. She pulled off her forehead guard and tucked it in the folds of her kimono. The princess then looked at there surrounding. That Shimoyama person was supposed to meet them in a place like this. Up near a waterfall? It seemed strange. She screamed softly when Hanzo suddenly grabbed her arm. "Lord Hanzo, what is it?"

Hanzo put his finger to his lips. "I sense someone else's presence."

A man with short brown hair and dark eyes leapt out of the shadows. The lower half of his face was covered by a thin black mask, but Kagome could make out the corners of his lips that were turned up in a little smile. The man bowed his head and crossed his fist over his chest. "As expected from the great Lord Hanzo."

"Shimoyama!" the lord said, though the feeling of unease did not fade from his body. In fact it increased. Why would Shimoyama try to conceal his presence from him? They were allies for the same cause.

Shimoyama raised his head and smirked slightly. "Even while masking our presence, you can sense us. Amazing as usual." Behind him a number of his ninja came into view out of the shadows. Each of them wore a dark blue outfit with masks covering the lower part of their faces.

Although they were surrounded by her own people, Kagome could not feel at ease. Something was not right. This meeting place seemed even more dangerous than the vast mountain terrain they were traveling earlier. And why did it seem like Shimoyama's men were slowly surrounding them. Slowly, Kagome's fingers inched to her kunai pouch. Even though she did not have any experience with fighting, she will try her best to protect her own life as well as Hanzo's.

"Have you found any information about Nobunaga's army?" Hanzo asked, his eyes narrowed slightly.

Shimoyama nodded. "Yes, according to my spies, Nobunaga has hired some very powerful assassins."

Hanzo arched a fine brow. "Who, exactly, do you mean by very powerful assassins?"

Kagome saw the first kunai that Shimoyama's men had thrown before she could warn Hanzo. The lord caught the glinting black blade between his fingers and threw aside. He then reached for the sword strapped to his back with a vicious snarl on his lips. Shimoyama went over to Nobunaga's side and was the assassin! The opposing ninja then approached them in a single wave. With quick and flawless movements, Hanzo had his sword drawn and was slicing through the men one after another.

The princess was amazed by Hanzo's pure power and felt invigorated by it. Grabbing the obi of her kimono, Kagome ripped the cloth off her body. She took her forehead guard out of the folds and tied it tightly in place. Her eyes took on a fierce gleam as she took a shuriken out of her pouch, throwing it at one of the opposing ninja. It struck the man on the hand and his yell of pain echoed through the cliff top. "You may have tried to take Lord Hanzo and I by surprise, but it won't work!"

Shimoyama glanced over at Kagome, his eyes widening slightly at her attire. She really looked like a real ninja princess! "Heh." he scoffed. "It seems that way, _Princess._ But we still haven't put all our cards on the table."

Kagome watched as a tall figure slowly walked out of the forest and her eyes widened. The first thing she noticed was the long dark green hair that was tied up in a ponytail by a braid. Then it was the sharp grey eyes that had enchanted her when she had first gazed in them. The two swords that were strapped to his hip was what made her heart clench painfully. "Musashi?"

"Cut them down as we agreed!" Shimoyama ordered, not hearing the princess call out the rogue samurai's name.

Hanzo narrowed his eyes and held his sword tighter in his hands. "He is the assassin you hired?"

The princess felt her heart drop. The person that Musashi was supposed be meeting... He was hired by her worst enemy, the man who killed her parents, the man that ordered the death of her people. He was hired by Nobunaga! Rage filled her body, but she kept a calm face. She knew of Musashi's strength and thought it best for them to retreat. Especially before he notices her. Keeping great caution to not be seen by Musashi, Kagome called, "Lord Hanzo..." she froze when Musashi's eyes focused on her.

He frowned. Why was the girl from the village here with the man he was supposed to kill? Musashi had no desire to slaughter anyone in front her innocent eyes. "I don't like it."

"What?" Shimoyama exclaimed.

Musashi sighed and closed his eyes. "Surprise attacks. Don't like them no matter how strong he may be."

Shimoyama growled low in his chest. Why was this rurouni making excuses to not kill Hanzo! They had paid him a substantial amount of money for his services! "Stop making excuses!" he roared. "We already paid your fee! Cut him down now!"

The rogue samurai said nothing as he looked over at Kagome with remorseful eyes. Rather reluctantly, Musashi drew one of his swords and took a fighting stance. His eyes kept glancing over at the princess and his lips drew down in a frown. He could no longer stall for time. She should have took that chance to run from here. Hanzo also took a fighting stance as well; the usual composure on his face was no longer there. He could sense the strength that Musashi had and knew that he was going to be a tough opponent.

Musashi moved at a blinding speed and his attack came down too fast for the eye to catch. Somehow, Hanzo managed to stop the samurai's blade with his own. He then retaliated with his on, which Musashi quickly blocked. This carried on for the next few attacks as they continued to exchange incredible slashes and swipes.

Kagome did not know who to cheer on. While she knew that Hanzo was trying to protect her, the princess could not help but to think that Musashi was on their side.

"Heh!" Musashi said in between thrusts with a smile "You are the first ninja I have seen with such fine swordsmanship."

The younger princess could not believe that even during such a fierce battle, Musashi could still smile so brightly like that. She felt a tug at her heart as she remembered the charming smile that he bestowed to her when she gave him some of the fish cakes she had made. How he complimented her cooking. _No! Right now, he is the enemy! You can't do this!_ She scolded herself. Kagome noticed that while she was daydreaming a few of Shimoyama men had snuck over to her. She quickly took them out with a kunai to the forehead. Looking back at the fight, Kagome watched as Hanzo desperately evaded Musashi's attacks. Just as Hazo jumped into the air and over the strike a shuriken pierced him in the shoulder.

Ripping the star-shaped blade from his shoulder, Hanzo glared at the man who threw it. "Shimoyama, you whelp!." he stumbled backward, dangerously close to the edge of the cliff.

"Careful!" Kagome screamed as she made her way over to the wounded ninja.

Hanzo looked at her with sad eyes. "Princess..." His head was spinning. The shuriken must have had some type of poison on its blades. Hanzo stumbled once more and tipped back. Kagome watched in horror as the lord of the Hattori clan fell over the side of the cliff.

Falling to her knees, she screamed, "No!" Kagome felt tears run down her face as she turned to the cause of Hanzo's fall. Rushing over to him, she grabbed him by the collar and held a kunai at his throat. "You bastard! How could you betray your own people like that! Why would you go to Nobunaga's side! He's just going to kill you once he's done with you!" She pressed the blade deeper into Shimoyama's neck, drawing a thin line of blood. Suddenly she was yanked away from him and thrown to the ground. Several of the ninjas dressed in blue had held her down.

Shimoyama laughed victoriously. "We have finally slain Hanzo Hattori and captured one of the Princesses!" his victory was cut short when Musashi grabbed him by the collar next.

Grey eyes burned with anger as Musashi pointed his sword at Shimoyama. "You..." he said venomously. "Why did you interfere in my fight?"

"D-don't be naive!" Shimoyama said, his tone frightened. "These times call for desperate measures."

Musashi was not buying it as he brought the tip of his blade to the wound Kagome had made and pressed down hard. "What exactly is your goal?!"

The betrayer of the Ninja smirked. "Nobunaga is going to reward me if I bring him this girl." he pointed at Kagome, who was growling out threats to the ninja holding her down. Shimoyama blinked when the sword that was at his neck was suddenly removed and a gold coin struck him in the forehead.

"You can have your money back." the samurai said as he walked over to where the princess was being held down. With a swift kick, he knocked the ninja off of her and helped her up. He then placed his hand on her shoulder. "In exchange, give me the girl instead."

"What are you talking about? I only killed Hanzo to get this girl!" Shimoyama said.

Musashi frowned and in an instant, he had Shimoyama back at swordpoint. "I don't like the way you do things." he said coldly before his blade tore into the man's body. Shimoyama let out a gurgle as blood spilled from the wound in his chest. He then collapsed on the ground. Musashi only smiled at the dying man's words. So what if saving Kagome meant going against Nobunaga. He only needed to trust in his sword. Once Shimoyama took his last breath, Musashi turned back to the princess.

Kagome looked at him with wary eyes. "What do you want with me?"

"Not sure." he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "All I know is that Nobunaga is supposedly to be a cruel and unjust man."

The princess narrowed her eyes. "It's not 'supposedly.'" Kagome said with a low growl. "Nobunaga Oda is a cruel and unjust man. And I highly doubt he will even try to show mercy to me just because of my title." she raised her head high and showed off her forehead guard. "I am Kagome Kusunoki, Princess of the Ninja. He will surely kill me if he gets his hands on me."

Musashi smiled softly and held his hand out to Kagome. "Come over here." He took hold of her hand and pulled her close.

Kagome blushed at the closeness and tried to put some distance between them. "What are you doing?"

"Are you injured?" his voice was soft as his eyes scanned for any wounds on her body. "Good. Girls should avoid getting scars." Without a sword in his hand, Musashi was like a different person. Perhaps, under that rough exterior, he was a nice person. He then noticed that she was trembling very delicately. "You are shaking?" he sighed and ran his fingers through his bangs. "It can't be helped after seeing so such violence in front of you."

The princess remained silent, not knowing what to say. While it was true that this was her first time witnessing a sword fight and someone being killed, that was not why she was trembling. It was from being so close to Musashi. She was so close that she could see the thin scar that otherwise marred his smooth face. It was cut diagonally through his right eyebrow and stopped at the corner of his eye. Oh, and his eyes. Those sharp grey eyes was what enchanted her when she first saw him. They were so sharp, yet soft at the same time.

Musashi's voice broke her from her trance as he sighed softly. "Sorry." he apologized. "I didn't see any way to save you without fighting." He noticed a few drops of blood on her cheek and grimaced slightly. Reaching inside the fold of his kimono and pulled out a handkerchief. "You got some blood on you. Use this to wipe it off." He smiled slightly when she took it from him, her soft fingers brushing over his. "It hasn't been washed so it might be a little smelly."

"That's fine." Kagome said as she used the cloth to wipe the slimy red fluid off her face. She scrunched her nose up when she caught a whiff of the scent that saturated the handkerchief. While it did stink, it had a small underlying scent of musk that must have been Musashi's scent. "It does smell." she said playfully.

"I warned you." he said.

Even though the princess did not know if Musashi was friend or foe, she felt like she could trust him. He did save her from being taken to Nobunaga and being killed. Kagome handed him back his handkerchief. The samurai then took hold of her hand and led her away from the cliff. They walked for a few hours until the moon began to bathe the forest in its glow.

Soon they reached a small river and Musashi stopped and turned to her. "Let's rest here tonight." He then began to gather some of the fallen branches to start up a small campfire near the shore. Musashi looked up at Kagome, who was still standing off and frowned. "It's going to be a cold night. Come closer to the fire." He sighed as her wary gaze. "I know you don't trust me, but you can't evade Nobunaga alone."

"Musashi..." Kagome said slowly. "Why did you save me?"

"I didn't like how that Shimoyama guy did business." he said simply. "He asked me to slay bandits who were terrorizing the townspeople." His lips pulled down into a deep frown as a scowled settled between his brow. "But, that was all a lie. He tried to betray Iga and kill his leader. That man was the head of the Iga clan, Hanzo Hattori?"

The princess nodded. "Yes, he was."

Musashi gave her a gentle smile, trying to ease her worries and doubts. "I don't understand everything, except the ninja are opposing Nobunaga. And that he is after you because you are the Princess of the Ninja." He raised his hands in a submissive way when Kagome merely watched with with suspicious eyes. "It's perfectly fine with me. I am on no one side, but my own." With a loud yawn, he laid down on his back to go to sleep. "I have no interest in politics."

Kagome arched a brow. "Then why do you keep training?" She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. "Don't you want to win fame and work for a powerful general? Isn't that what all Rounin strive for? Become famous and gain a new lord? And then be rewarded for your feats on the battlefield?"

"You know a lot about the world for being so young." the samurai chuckled softly.

"I'm not that young. I am seventeen." the princess huffed and stuck her tongue out at him. Sighing, Kagome said, "My grandpa taught me a lot of things about the world." Kagome knew that someone as skilled as Musashi could easily gain the favor of any general.

Musashi sighed as and gazed up at the stars, taking in the beauty of them lighting up the sky. "I'm just a commoner from a poor village." he muttered to himself, but loud enough for Kagome to hear. "I have seen how samurai oppress the poor peasants. I can still feed myself without bowing down to a general. There are always jobs for a bodyguard or to chase off bandits."

Kagome tilted her head to the side and scooted closer to the fire to warm her chilled body. "Musashi, do you use your sword to save people instead of harming them?'

He looked at her with serious eyes. "I only use my sword for myself. I only want to fight worthy opponents and become stronger myself."

"But for what purpose?" she asked.

"I don't know." Musashi answered truthfully as he looked back up at the stars. "It's just like wanting to climb a tall mountain."

Kagome rubbed her arms to ward off the chilly wind as she gazed at Musashi. "And what is waiting for you at the peak?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "No idea." Musashi cracked a small smile at her silence. "I don't know, so that is why I climb it." He turned over on his side and cushioned his head on his arm. "I'm going to sleep." He let out another tired yawn and looked over his shoulder at the princess. "Don't go too far from me. In case our pursuers find us."

The princess nodded. Even though her skills with throwing kunai was above average for someone with no training, Kagome had almost no physical strength. Once she'd run out of weapons, she would be defenseless and would most likely end up being captured. _I can't allow myself to get caught. I promised Sango that we would see each other again in Iga. _Kagome blinked as she remembered that she had yet to thank Musashi for helping her. Moving over closer to him, she placed her hand on his shoulder. "Hey, I want to say thanks for saving me. I surely would have been taken by those men without you there."

"Not necessary." he said with a wave of his hand. "I just did as I wanted. Tomorrow, we will look for Hanzo." he smirked. "Knowing him, he will be okay."

Kagome sighed. Hanzo fell from the cliff injured and is probably being hunted. She began to wonder if they would find the lord here. They stayed close to the river since below the cliff was a waterfall that could have carried Hanzo downstream. Kagome jumped when a hand touched her knee.

Musashi sensed her worried thoughts and sought to calm her down. "Stop worrying. I am pretty used to mountainsides."

"Why are you doing all this for me?" she asked. "Protecting me from pursuers and even helping me find Lord Hanzo."

The samurai rubbed his chin in thought before looking at Kagome with those beautiful grey eyes of his. "I suppose it is just fate." he touched her knee again gently, his lips in a frown. "There was not much I could do for Hanzo, but I am sorry for leaving you alone." his fingers slid from her leg and back to cushioning his head from the hard ground. "At any rate, after saving you from Nobunaga, he will after me as well."

Kagome knew that his words were true. She had a small feeling that she could really trust Musashi. With a soft smile, she turned to lay on her side when she felt something flutter off her lap. Looking to see what it was, Kagome noticed a small slip of paper on the ground. Looking over at the samurai and saw that he was already fast asleep, the princess open the letter.

_So we meet again. This must be fate. Let's look for Hanzo together tomorrow, while enjoying some lovely nuts. If you know of any particularly tasty ones, let me know. Please._

_Musashi Miyamoto_

The princess giggled softly at the note and tucked it inside the fold of her vest for safekeeping. _He can be really childishly cute._

-0-0-0

I really enjoyed writing this chapter. It was really fun. And I love Musashi's character! Anyhoo, leave me a nice review about what you liked and did not like! Now, I've really need to work on my other fics.

Ja ne

~Kirei Ai Tenshi


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